Two famous quotes come from the British attempts to climb Everest in the 1920s. One is George Mallory's justification, 'because it is there', and the other is astronomer A Hinks' claim that 'only rotters would use oxygen'. We may never understand quite what Mallory meant, but we have definitely misunderstood Hinks…

In 1921 Sam Wollaston's grandfather was a member of the first Everest expedition. Nine decades on Sam finds less tweed and more Gore-Tex, but the same beauty on a trek taking in new eco-friendly campsites

Originally published in the Guardian on 28 December 1973: The helicopter swirled away with Poonam's auntie in it. Poonam followed it with moist eyes as it swung round, turned its back on Everest and hummed away